Comparative analysis of the effects of microplastics and nitrogen on maize and wheat: Growth, redox homeostasis, photosynthesis, and AsA-GSH cycle

Microplastics (MPs) pose a significant threat to the function of agro-ecosystems. At present, research on MPs has mainly focused on the effects of different concentrations or types of MPs on a crop, while ignoring other environmental factors. In agricultural production, the application of nitrogen (N) fertilizer is an important means to maintain the high yield of crops. The effects of MPs and N on growth parameters, photosynthetic system, active oxygen metabolism, nutrient content, and ascorbate-glutathione (AsA-GSH) cycle of maize and wheat were studied in order to explicit whether N addition could effectively alleviate the effects of MPs on maize and wheat. The results showed that MPs inhibited the plant height of both maize and wheat, and MPs effects on physiological traits of maize were more severe than those of wheat, reflecting in reactive oxygen metabolism and restriction of photosynthetic capacity. Under the condition of N supply, AsA-GSH cycle of two plants has different response strategies to MPs: Maize promoted enzyme activity and co-accumulation of AsA and GSH, while wheat tended to consume AsA and accumulate GSH. N application induced slight oxidative stress on maize, which was manifested as an increase in hydrogen peroxide and malonaldehyde contents, and activities of polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase. The antioxidant capacity of maize treated with the combination of MPs + N was better than that treated with N or MPs alone. N could effectively alleviate the adverse effects of MPs on wheat by improving the antioxidant capacity.

Stability and inter-family associations of hair endocannabinoid and N-acylethanolamines across the perinatal period in mothers, fathers, and children

Analysis of endocannabinoids (ECs) and N-acylethanolamines (NAEs) in hair is assumed to retrospectively assess long-term EC/NAE concentrations. To inform their use, this study investigated stability of EC/NAE hair concentrations in mothers, fathers, and their children across the perinatal period as well as associations between family members. In a prospective cohort study, EC (AEA, 1-AG/2-AG) and NAE (SEA, PEA, OEA) levels were quantified in hair samples taken four times in mothers (n = 336) and their partners (n = 225) from pregnancy to two years postpartum and in offspring (n = 319) from shortly after birth to two years postpartum. Across the perinatal period, maternal and paternal hair ECs/NAEs showed poor multiple-test consistency (16-36%) and variable relative stability, as well as inconsistent absolute stability for mothers. Regarding children, hair ECs/NAEs evidenced poor multiple-test consistency (4-19%), no absolute stability, and either no or variable relative stability. Hair ECs/NAEs showed small to medium significant associations across the perinatal period within couples and parent-child dyads. Findings suggest hair ECs/NAEs during the perinatal period possess variable stability in adults, albeit more stability in fathers than mothers in this time. This highlights the need to further investigate factors associated with changes in hair ECs/NAEs across time. The first two years of life may be a dynamic phase for the endocannabinoid system in children, potentially characterized by complex within-family correspondence that requires further systematic investigation.

Measurements of All-Particle Energy Spectrum and Mean Logarithmic Mass of Cosmic Rays from 0.3 to 30 PeV with LHAASO-KM2A

We present the measurements of all-particle energy spectrum and mean logarithmic mass of cosmic rays in the energy range of 0.3-30 PeV using data collected from LHAASO-KM2A between September 2021 and December 2022, which is based on a nearly composition-independent energy reconstruction method, achieving unprecedented accuracy. Our analysis reveals the position of the knee at 3.67±0.05±0.15  PeV. Below the knee, the spectral index is found to be -2.7413±0.0004±0.0050, while above the knee, it is -3.128±0.005±0.027, with the sharpness of the transition measured with a statistical error of 2%. The mean logarithmic mass of cosmic rays is almost heavier than helium in the whole measured energy range. It decreases from 1.7 at 0.3 PeV to 1.3 at 3 PeV, representing a 24% decline following a power law with an index of -0.1200±0.0003±0.0341. This is equivalent to an increase in abundance of light components. Above the knee, the mean logarithmic mass exhibits a power law trend towards heavier components, which is reversal to the behavior observed in the all-particle energy spectrum. Additionally, the knee position and the change in power-law index are approximately the same. These findings suggest that the knee observed in the all-particle spectrum corresponds to the knee of the light component, rather than the medium-heavy components.

Age effect on the shared etiology of glycemic traits and serum lipids: evidence from a Chinese twin study

PURPOSE

Diabetes and dyslipidemia are among the most common chronic diseases with increasing global disease burdens, and they frequently occur together. The study aimed to investigate differences in the heritability of glycemic traits and serum lipid indicators and differences in overlapping genetic and environmental influences between them across age groups.

METHODS

This study included 1189 twin pairs from the Chinese National Twin Registry and divided them into three groups: aged ≤ 40, 41-50, and > 50 years old. Univariate and bivariate structural equation models (SEMs) were conducted on glycemic indicators and serum lipid indicators, including blood glucose (GLU), glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), in the total sample and three age groups.

RESULTS

All phenotypes showed moderate to high heritability (0.37-0.64). The heritability of HbA1c demonstrated a downward trend with age (HbA1c: 0.50-0.79), while others remained relatively stable (GLU: 0.55-0.62, TC: 0.58-0.66, TG: 0.50-0.63, LDL-C: 0.24-0.58, HDL-C: 0.31-0.57). The bivariate SEMs demonstrated that GLU and HbA1c were correlated with each serum lipid indicator (0.10-0.17), except HDL-C. Except for HbA1c and LDL-C, as well as HbA1c and HDL-C, differences in genetic correlations underlying glycemic traits and serum lipids between age groups were observed, with the youngest group showing a significantly higher genetic correlation than the oldest group.

CONCLUSION

Across the whole adulthood, genetic influences were consistently important for GLU, TC, TG, LDL-C and HDL-C, and age may affect the shared genetic influences between glycemic traits and serum lipids. Further studies are needed to elucidate the role of age in the interactions of genes related to glycemic traits and serum lipids.

Waterlogging faced by bulbil expansion improved the growth of Pinellia ternata and its effect reinforced by brassinolide

The bulbil expansion of P. ternata is a key period for its yield formation, and the process of bulbil expansion is often subjected to short-term heavy precipitation. It is not clear whether the short-term waterlogging can affect bulbil expansion. Brassinolide (BR) is widely believed to enhance plant tolerance to abiotic stress. The study investigated the effects of normal water (C), waterlogging (W), waterlogging + BR (W + B), waterlogging + propiconazole (W + P) on P. ternata at the bulbil expansion period in order to assess P. ternata's ability to cope with waterlogging during the bulbil expansion stage and the regulation effects of BR on the process. The biomass of P. ternata was significantly increased after waterlogging. W treatment significantly reduced the H2O2 and MDA contents, the rate of O2⋅- production and the activities of antioxidant enzymes compared with the C group. AsA and GSH contents were significantly reduced by W treatment. However, the ratios of AsA/DHA and GSH/GSSG were slightly affected by W treatment. The rate of O2∙- production and H2O2 content in W + B group were significantly lower than those in W group. The POD, APX, and GR activities, and GSH content in W + B group were evidently increased compared with the W group. Soluble sugar and active ingredients contents were significantly increased after waterlogging, and the enhancement was reinforced by BR. In conclusion, waterlogging reduced oxidative stress in P. ternata under the experimental conditions. BR treatment under waterlogging had a positive effect on P. ternata by enhancing antioxidant capacity and promoting the accumulation of soluble sugars and active ingredients.

[Prognostic value of the Second Revision of the International Staging System in patients with newly diagnosed transplant-eligible multiple myeloma]

Objective: To verify the predictive value of the Second Revision of the International Staging System (R2-ISS) in newly diagnosed patients with multiple myeloma (MM) who underwent first-line autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in a new drug era in China. Methods: This multicenter retrospective cohort study enrolled patients with newly diagnosed MM from three centers in China (Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University; the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, and the Second Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University) from June 2008 to June 2018. A total of 401 newly diagnosed patients with MM who were candidates for ASCT were enrolled in this cohort, all received proteasome inhibitor and/or immunomodulator-based induction chemotherapy followed by ASCT. Baseline and follow-up data were collected. The patients were regrouped using R2-ISS. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the survival curve and two survival curves were compared using the log-rank test. Cox regression analysis were performed to analyze the relationship between risk factors and survival. Results: The median age of the patients was 53 years (range 25-69 years) and 59.5% (240 cases) were men. Newly diagnosed patients with renal impairment accounted for 11.5% (46 cases). According to Revised-International Staging System (R-ISS), 74 patients (18.5 %) were diagnosed with stage Ⅰ, 259 patients (64.6%) with stage Ⅱ, and 68 patients (17.0%) with stage Ⅲ. According to the R2-ISS, the distribution of patients in each group was as follows: 50 patients (12.5%) in stage Ⅰ, 95 patients (23.7%) in stage Ⅱ, 206 patients (51.4%) in stage Ⅲ, and 50 patients (12.5%) in stage Ⅳ. The median follow-up time was 35.9 months (range, 6-119 months). According to the R2-ISS stage, the median PFS in each group was: 75.3 months for stage Ⅰ; 62.0 months for stage Ⅱ, 39.2 months for stage Ⅲ, and 30.3 months for stage Ⅳ; and the median OS was not reached, 86.6 months, 71.6 months, and 38.5 months, respectively. There were statistically significant differences in PFS and OS between different groups (both P<0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that stages Ⅲ and Ⅳ of the R2-ISS were independent prognostic factors for PFS (HR=2.37, 95%CI 1.30-4.30; HR=4.50, 95%CI 2.35-9.01) and OS (HR=4.20, 95%CI 1.50-11.80; HR=9.53, 95%CI 3.21-28.29). Conclusions: The R2-ISS has significant predictive value for PFS and OS for transplant-eligible patients with MM in the new drug era. However, the universality of the R2-ISS still needs to be further verified in different populations.

Measurement of Ultra-High-Energy Diffuse Gamma-Ray Emission of the Galactic Plane from 10 TeV to 1 PeV with LHAASO-KM2A

The diffuse Galactic γ-ray emission, mainly produced via interactions between cosmic rays and the interstellar medium and/or radiation field, is a very important probe of the distribution, propagation, and interaction of cosmic rays in the Milky Way. In this Letter, we report the measurements of diffuse γ rays from the Galactic plane between 10 TeV and 1 PeV energies, with the square kilometer array of the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO). Diffuse emissions from the inner (15°10  TeV). The energy spectrum in the inner Galaxy regions can be described by a power-law function with an index of -2.99±0.04, which is different from the curved spectrum as expected from hadronic interactions between locally measured cosmic rays and the line-of-sight integrated gas content. Furthermore, the measured flux is higher by a factor of ∼3 than the prediction. A similar spectrum with an index of -2.99±0.07 is found in the outer Galaxy region, and the absolute flux for 10≲E≲60  TeV is again higher than the prediction for hadronic cosmic ray interactions. The latitude distributions of the diffuse emission are consistent with the gas distribution, while the longitude distributions show clear deviation from the gas distribution. The LHAASO measurements imply that either additional emission sources exist or cosmic ray intensities have spatial variations.

Andrographolide loaded montmorillonite attenuated enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli induced intestinal barrier injury and inflammation in a mouse model

Montmorillonite (MMT), a natural absorbent agent, has widely been accepted for its antidiarrhea function in human and farm animals; however, its specific physicochemical property limits its biological function in practical use. In the current study, raw MMT was loaded by andrographolide, namely andrographolide loaded montmorillonite (AGP-MMT). The microstructure of AGP-MMT was observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The effect of AGP-MMT on the growth performance, intestinal barrier and inflammation was investigated in an enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) challenged mice model. The results show that the microstructure of MMT was obviously changed after andrographolide modification: AGP-MMT exhibited a large number of spheroid particles, and floccule aggregates, but lower interplanar spacing compared with MMT. ETEC infection induced body weight losses and intestinal barrier function injury, as indicated by a lower villus height and ratio of villus height/crypt depth, whereas the serum levels of diamine oxidase (DAO), D-xylose and ETEC shedding were higher in the ETEC group compared with the CON group. Mice pretreated with AGP-MMT showed alleviated body weight losses and the intestinal barrier function injury induced by ETEC challenge. The villus height and the ratio of villus height/crypt depth, were higher in mice pretreated with AGP-MMT than those pretreated with equal levels of MMT. Pretreatment with AGP-MMT also alleviated the increased concentration of serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and the corresponding genes in the jejunum induced by ETEC infection in mice. The protein and mRNA levels of IL-1β were lower in mice pretreated with AGP-MMT than those with equal levels of MMT. The results indicate that AGP-MMT was more effective in alleviating intestinal barrier injury and inflammation in mice with ETEC challenge than MMT.

[Effect of REG3A on proliferation and invasion of glioma cells by regulating PI3K/Akt signaling pathway]

Objective: To investigate the effects of regenerating islet-derived protein 3A (REG3A) on the proliferation and invasion of glioma cells and its molecular mechanism. Methods: Five low-grade, five high-grade glioma tissues and ten adjacent tissues from glioma patients who underwent surgery at Linyi People's Hospital from October 17, 2017 to October 18, 2018 were collected. Human glioma cell lines (SF295, U251, TG905, A172, CRT) and a primary glioma cell line PT-1 were cultured in vitro. The protein and mRNA expressions of REG3A in these tissues and glioma cell lines were detected by Western blot and reverse transcription-quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). SF295 cells were infected with lentivirus and labeled as REG3A plasmid transfection group, and the TG905 cells were transfected with si-REG3A by liposome transfection reagent and labeled as si-REG3A transfection group. At the same time, the empty transfection control and blank control groups were set up. Glioma cells were treated with REG3A recombinant protein alone or in combination with Akt1/2 inhibitors. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and cell scratch assay were used to detect cell proliferation and invasion, respectively. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of N-cadherin, vimentin and phosphorylation of Akt (p-Akt) in REG3A overexpressed and knockdown glioma cells. Results: RT-qPCR results showed that the mRNA expression levels of REG3A in glioma cells in each group were U251 (2.129±0.13), TG905 (2.22±0.59), CRT (5.02±0.31), A172 (6.62±1.34) and PT-1 (9.18±0.61), respectively, higher than its expression in SF295 cells (1.00±0.18, P<0.001). The mRNA expression level of REG3A in high-grade glioma tissue samples (3.18±2.92) was higher than that in the control group (1.00±1.14, P=0.031) and low-grade glioma group (0.90±0.67, P=0.014). The results of western blot and immunohistochemical staining were consistent with that of RT-qPCR. The migration rate of cells in si-REG3A transfection group [(60.57±5.30)%] was lower than that of the empty transfection group [(84.18±13.63)% (P=0.038)] and blank control group [(79.65±12.09)% (P=0.076)]. The results of the scratch experiment showed that the migration rate of cells in REG3A plasmid transfected cells in the SF295 group was (96.05±6.41)%, which was significantly higher than that of empty transfected cells [(74.47±8.23)%, P=0.021)]. REG3A recombinant protein could up-regulate the expression of N-cadherin, vimentin and p-Akt in SF295 cells. Compared with the control group [(100.00±2.53)%], the proliferation rate in the REG3A recombinant protein group [(117.70±10.24)%] was significantly up-regulated, and the proliferation rate in the REG3A recombinant protein+ Akt inhibitor group [(98.31±3.64)%] was significantly lower than that of the REG3A recombinant protein group (P=0.017). The migration rate of the REG3A recombinant protein+ Akt inhibitor group was (63.35±4.06)%, which was significantly lower than (89.26±11.07)% of the REG3A recombinant protein group (P=0.019). Conclusion: REG3A can promote the proliferation and invasion of human glioma cells by activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

[Efficacy of arteriovenous argatroban versus heparin flush anticoagulation after cardiovascular surgery]

Objective: To compare the effects of arteriovenous argatroban and heparin flushes on platelet count and assess the occurrence of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) and other complications in patients undergoing cardiovascular surgeries. Methods: A single-center, prospective randomized control study was conducted. Patients who underwent cardiovascular surgery at Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from March to December 2019 were randomly divided into the argatroban group (250 ml normal saline plus 2.5 mg of argatroban) and the heparin group (250 ml normal saline plus 10 mg of heparin). Platelet count, hemorrhage, and thrombosis were assessed. The 4T scores of HIT, the incidences of HIT and other complications were also evaluated. Results: A total of 491 patients (307 males and 184 females) were included in the study, with a mean age of (52.3±13.7) years. There were 245 cases in the argatroban group and 246 cases in the heparin group, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in the preoperative platelet count between the argatroban and heparin groups [198.0 (161.0, 248.0)×10⁹/L vs 194.0 (157.2, 243.8)×10⁹/L, P=0.498]. Likewise, there were no statistically significant differences in the platelet count between the argatroban and heparin groups at 12 h, 1 day, and 5 days after operation [127.0 (100.0, 154.0)×10⁹/L vs 121.5 (90.2, 149.0)×10⁹/L, 126.0 (97.0, 162.0)×10⁹/L vs 123.5 (88.0, 151.0)×10⁹/L, 168.0 (130.0, 215.0) ×10⁹/L vs 161.0 (101.0, 210.5)×10⁹/L] (repeated measures ANOVA between groups: F=3.327, P=0.069; time comparison: F=532.523, P<0.001; time interaction between groups: F=0.675, P=0.512). The proportion of 4T scores of medium and high scores (≥4)[9.8% (24/245) vs 10.6% (26/246), P=0.777] and incidence of HIT antibody positive [1.63% (4/245) vs 1.63% (4/246), P=0.726] were similar between argatroban group and the heparin group. Mechanical ventilation time was shorter in the argatroban group than that in the heparin group [13.0 (11.0, 21.0) vs 15.5 (12.0, 21.0) h, P=0.020]. Conclusion: Compared with heparin, routine management with argatroban for arteriovenous flush in patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery does not affect the HIT incidence.

WOA-Based Robust Congestion Control Scheme with Two Kinds of Propagation Latencies and External Disturbance in Software-Defined Wireless Networks

This paper proposes a novel WOA-based robust control scheme with two kinds of propagation latencies and external disturbance implemented in Software-Defined Wireless Networks (SDWNs) to maximize overall throughput and enhance the stability of the global network. Firstly, an adjustment model developed using the Additive-Increase Multiplicative-Decrease (AIMD) adjustment scheme with propagation latency in device-to-device paths and a closed-loop congestion control model with propagation latency in device-controller pairs are proposed, and the effect of channel competition from neighboring forwarding devices is analyzed. Subsequently, a robust congestion control model with two kinds of propagation latencies and external disturbance is established. Then, a new WOA-based scheduling strategy that considers each individual whale as a specific scheduling plan to allocate appropriate sending rates at the source side is presented to maximize the global network throughput. Afterward, the sufficient conditions are derived using Lyapunov-Krasovskii functionals and formulated using Linear Matrix Inequalities (LMIs). Finally, a numerical simulation is conducted to verify the effectiveness of this proposed scheme.

A tera-electron volt afterglow from a narrow jet in an extremely bright gamma-ray burst

Some gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have a tera-electron volt (TeV) afterglow, but the early onset of this has not been observed. We report observations with the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory of the bright GRB 221009A, which serendipitously occurred within the instrument field of view. More than 64,000 photons >0.2 TeV were detected within the first 3000 seconds. The TeV flux began several minutes after the GRB trigger, then rose to a peak about 10 seconds later. This was followed by a decay phase, which became more rapid ~650 seconds after the peak. We interpret the emission using a model of a relativistic jet with half-opening angle ~0.8°. This is consistent with the core of a structured jet and could explain the high isotropic energy of this GRB.

[Safety and efficacy of transcatheter closure of Fontan fenestration with atrial septal occluder]

Objective: To assess the safety and efficacy of transcatheter fenestration closure following Fontan procedure with an atrial septal occluder. Methods: This is a retrospective study. The study sample consists of all consecutive patients who underwent closure of a fenestrated Fontan baffle at Shanghai Children's Medical Center Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine between June 2002 and December 2019. The indications of Fontan fenestration closure included that normal ventricular function, targeted drugs for pulmonary hypertension and positive inotropic drugs were not required prior the procedure; and the Fontan circuit pressure was less than 16 mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) and no more than a 2 mmHg increase during test occlusion of the fenestration. Electrocardiogram and echocardiography were reviewed at 24 hours, 1, 3, 6 months and annually thereafter post procedure. Follow-up information including clinical events and complications related to Fontan procedure was recorded. Results: A total of 11 patients, including 6 males and 5 females, aged (8.9±3.7) years old were included. The types of Fontan were extracardiac conduits (7 cases) and intra-atrial duct (4 cases). The interval between percutaneous fenestration closure and the Fontan procedure was (5.1±2.9) years. One patient reported recurrent headache after Fontan procedure. Successful fenestration occlusion with atrial septal occluder was achieved in all patients. Compared with prior closure, Fontan circuit pressure ((12.72±1.90) mmHg vs. (12.36±1.63) mmHg, P<0.05), and aortic oxygen saturation ((95.11±3.11)% vs. (86.35±7.26)%, P<0.01) were increased. There were no procedural complications. At a median follow-up of (3.8±1.2) years, there was no residual leak and evidence of stenosis within the Fontan circuit in all patient. No complication was observed during follow-up. One patient with preoperative headache did not have recurrent headache after closure. Conclusions: If the Fontan pressure is acceptable by test occlusion during the catheterization procedure, Fontan fenestration could be occluded with the atrial septum defect device. It is a safe and effective procedure, and could be used for occlusion of Fontan fenestration with varying sizes and morphologies.

[Effect of Friday surgery on clinical outcome of elderly patients with hip fracture under multidisciplinary treatment]

Objective: To assess the impact of Friday surgery on clinical outcomes in elderly patients with hip fracture under multidisciplinary treatment. Methods: A retrospective cohort study. The clinical data of 414 geriatric patients with hip fractures admitted to Zhongda Hospital Affiliated with Southeast University from January 2018 to March 2021 were analyzed retrospectively, including 126 males and 288 females with a mean age of (81.3±7.6) years. The patients were divided into two groups based on whether they underwent surgery on Friday or not. The Friday group(n=69) and the non-Friday group(n=345) were compared in terms of general information, American Society of Anesthesiologists(ASA) classification, fracture type, injury to admission time, preoperative waiting time, surgical method, anesthesia type and use of intensive care unit (ICU) fast track. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed based on age, ASA grade, time from injury to admission, preoperative waiting time, hemoglobin and albumin levels at admission. Clinical outcomes were collected and compared between the two groups, including length of hospital stay, total hospitalization cost and 30-day, 90-day and 1-year mortality rates, and postoperative complications. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify influencing factors for 1-year mortality in geriatric patients with hip fracture. Results: Baseline data showed statistically significant differences in hemoglobin, albumin and preoperative waiting time between the two groups (all P<0.05). After PSM matching, 69 patients were included in each group, and no significant differences were observed in baseline data between the two groups (all P>0.05). There was no significant differences in 30-day mortality rate (4.3% vs 0, P=0.080), 90-day mortality rate (7.2% vs 1.4%, P=0.095), length of hospital stay [(10.85±4.45)d vs (10.92±3.68)d, P=0.919], total hospitalization cost [(60.9±15.4) thousands yuan vs (59.1±15.4) thousands yuan, P=0.489], postoperative complications [pneumonia (11.6% vs 13.0%, P=0.796), cardio-cerebrovascular complications (11.6% vs 8.7%, P=0.573) and delirium (5.7% vs 2.9%, P=0.245)] between the Friday group and the non-Friday group (all P>0.05). However, the 1-year mortality rate was higher in the Friday group than that in the non-Friday group(18.8% vs 4.3%, P=0.008). Multivariate analysis revealed that surgery on Friday (OR=11.222, 95%CI: 2.198-57.291, P=0.004), low hemoglobin levels at admission (OR=0.920, 95%CI: 0.875-0.967, P=0.001), hemiarthroplasty treatment (OR=5.127, 95%CI: 1.308-20.095, P=0.019) and longer surgery duration (OR=0.958, 95%CI: 0.927-0.989, P=0.009) were influencing factors for 1-year mortality in geriatric patients with hip fracture. Conclusions: In the context of multidisciplinary treatment, Friday surgery does not increase short-term mortality, length of hospital stay, total hospitalization cost or incidence of complications in geriatric patients with hip fracture. However, it remains a influencing factor for 1-year mortality in those patients.

Modulating the Catalytic Properties of Bimetallic Atomic Catalysts: Role of Dangling Bonds and Charging

Bimetallic atomic catalysts (BACs) exhibit great potential in CO₂ electroreduction. However, modulation and improvement of their catalytic performance are still challenging. To address these issues, an intrinsic descriptor ψ based on the valence properties of active centers was used. The role of the dangling bonds and charging in modulating the catalytic properties of BACs called M₁ M₂ -N₆ -G (M₁ =Ru and Fe) was studied. It was shown that linear relationships between the adsorption energy of the C-species are broken under the effect of the dangling bonds and that they are restored with charging. However, charging has minor effects on the adsorption of the O-species. These findings enable screening promising BACs for CH₃ OH production. This research provides effective schemes for modulating the properties of catalysts, which is beneficial to enriching high-performance catalysts for various reactions.

Postoperative awake prone position in geriatric patients with hip fractures: a protocol for a randomized controlled trial on the efficacy of postoperative prone position in reducing pulmonary complications and improving oxygenation

INTRODUCTION

Postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) are prevalent in geriatric patients with hip fractures. Low oxygen level is one of the most important risk factors for PPCs. Prone position has been proven efficacy in improving oxygenation and delaying the progress of pulmonary diseases, especially in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome induced by multiple etiologies. The application of awake prone position (APP) has also attracted widespread attention in recent years. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) will be carried out to measure the effect of postoperative APP in a population of geriatric patients undergoing hip fracture surgery.

METHODS

This is an RCT. Patients older than 65 years old admitted through the emergency department and diagnosed with an intertrochanteric or femoral neck fracture will be eligible for enrollment and assigned randomly to the control group with routine postoperative management of orthopedics or APP group with an additional prone position for the first three consecutive postoperative days (PODs). Patients receiving conservative treatment will not be eligible for enrollment. We will record the difference in the patient's room-air-breathing arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO₂) values between the 4^th POD (POD 4) and emergency visits, the morbidity of PPCs and other postoperative complications, and length of stay. The incidence of PPCs, readmission rates, and mortality rates will be followed up for 90 PODs.

DISCUSSION

We describe the protocol for a single-center RCT that will evaluate the efficacy of postoperative APP treatment in reducing pulmonary complications and improving oxygenation in geriatric patients with hip fractures.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This protocol was approved by the independent ethics committee (IEC) for Clinical Research of Zhongda Hospital, Affiliated to Southeast University, and is registered on the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry. The findings of the trial will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals.

ETHICS APPROVAL NUMBER

2021ZDSYLL203-P01 TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR ChiCTR2100049311 . Registered on 29 July 2021.

TRIAL STATUS

Recruiting. Recruitment is expected to be completed in December 2024.

Blood eosinophils to direct oral corticosteroid treatment for patients with nasal polyps - an open label, non-inferiority, randomized control trial

BACKGROUND

Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is a heterogeneous disorder. We aimed to evaluate the value of blood eosinophil count (BEC) for guiding oral corticosteroid therapy for CRSwNP.

METHODS

Subjects with CRSwNP were entered into a 2:1 randomized biomarker-directed corticosteroid versus standard therapy study base on the principle of potential benefits to patients. Subjects in the standard arm received oral prednisone (30mg/day) alone for 7 days, whereas in the biomarker-directed arm, prednisone (30mg/day), or nasal steroid spray (budesonide 256ug/day) was given according to the BEC which was measured to define eosinophil-high and -low CRSwNP (BEC ≥ and &lt; 0.37×109/L, respectively). The primary outcome was the total nasal symptom scores (TNSS) of the two arms with the non-inferiority margin of 1.8. Secondary outcomes included nasal polyp size scores (NPSS) and SNOT-22. Patients were followed up the day after last dose of treatment.

RESULTS

A total of 105 subjects with CRSwNP were randomized into the biomarker-directed therapy group or the standard care group. The biomarker therapy demonstrated non-inferiority compared to standard care. There were no between-group differences for TNSS, NPSS and SNOT-22 improvements after treatment. Comparisons of TNSS, SNOT-22 and NPSS revealed no significant difference in terms of the effectiveness ratios of the biomarker-directed therapy and the standard care.

CONCLUSION

A biomarker-directed strategy using the BEC can be used to direct corticosteroid therapy without increasing treatment failure or worsening of symptoms in patients with CRSwNP.

Few-shot fake news detection via prompt-based tuning

 As people increasingly use social media to read news, fake news has become a major problem for the public and government. One of the main challenges in fake news detection is how to identify them in the early stage of propagation. Another challenge is that detection model training requires large amounts of labeled data, which are often unavailable or expensive to acquire. To address these challenges, we propose a novel Fake News Detection model based on Prompt Tuning (FNDPT). FNDPT first designs a prompt-based template for early fake news detection. This mechanism incorporates contextual information into textual content and extracts relevant knowledge from pre-trained language models. Furthermore, our model utilizes prompt-based tuning to enhance the performance in a few-shot setting. Experimental results on two real-world datasets verify the effectiveness of FNDPT.

[Expression and clinical significance of circRNA cSMARCA5 in patients with acute myocardial infarction]

Objective: To investigate the expression level and clinical significance of cSMARCA5 in the patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Methods: This study was a case-control study. A total of 100 patients with AMI and 100 patients without coronary heart disease who received treatment in the Department of Cardiology, Peking University Third Hospital from September to December 2021 were included in the study according to the principle of 1∶1 frequency matching. The expression levels of cSMARCA5 in the peripheral blood of AMI patients and control groups were measured by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to calculate the diagnostic ability of cSMARCA5 for AMI. Spearman or Pearson correlation analysis was used to explore the correlation between cSMARCA5 and the degree of myocardial necrosis, coronary lesion severity and GRACE risk stratification score. Bioinformatics analysis was used to predict the possible mechanism of cSMARCA5 in pathological changes of AMI. Results: The age [M (Q₁,Q₃)] of AMI patients and control group was 63.0 (56.0, 71.5) and 63.0 (53.0, 75.5) (P=0.622), and the proportion of males was 75.0% (75 cases) and 46.0% (46 cases) (P<0.001), respectively. The expression level [M (Q₁,Q₃)] of cSMARCA5 was significantly lower in AMI patients compared with the control group [0.37 (0.22, 0.73) vs 1.03(0.71, 1.75), P<0.001]. ROC analysis showed that the area under the curve of cSMARCA5 in diagnosing AMI was 0.83 (95%CI: 0.77-0.89, P<0.001), with a sensitivity of 89.0% and specificity of 67.7%. cSMARCA5 was negatively correlated with creatine kinase isoenzyme MB (r=-0.203, P=0.041), troponin T (r=-0.230, P=0.023) and N-terminal brain natriuretic peptide precursor (r=-0.250, P=0.012), and positively correlated with left ventricular ejection fraction (r=0.201, P=0.042). In addition, the expression level of cSMARCA5 was negatively correlated with SYNTAX score (r=-0.196, P=0.048) and GRACE risk score (r=-0.321, P=0.001). Bioinformatic analysis suggested that cSMARCA5 might be involved in the process of AMI through regulating the gene expression of tumor necrosis factor. Conclusions: The expression of cSMARCA5 is significantly decreased in peripheral blood of AMI patients compared with control group, and its expression level is negatively correlated with the severity of myocardial infarction. cSMARCA5 is expected to be a potential biomarker of AMI.

[Biological function and clinical significance of long non-coding RNA LINC00342 in head and neck squamous carcinoma]

Objective: To investigate the relationship between the long-non-coding RNA LINC00342 expression and the clinicopathological parameters of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and the biological function of LINC00342 in HNSCC cells. Methods: The expression level of LINC00342 in the HNSCC was analyzed using transcriptome sequencing data from TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) database, and the expressions of LINC00342 in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma tissues (LSCC) of 27 patients in the First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University were detected by transcriptome sequencing. The expression levels of LINC00342 in human embryonic lung diploid cells 2BS, HNSCC cell lines FD-LSC-1, CAL-27 and Detroit562 were determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). RNAi (RNA interference) was used for LINC00342 knockdown in HNSCC cell lines, and the changes of malignant phenotype in the tumor cells after LINC00342 knockdown were examined by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), colony formation, flow cytometry, transwell invasion and migration assays. Bioinformatics analysis was performed to construct a LINC00342-centered competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory network, and GO (Gene Ontology) enrichment analysis was performed. Statistical analysis and graphing were performed using SPSS 25.0 software and GraphPad Prism 6 software. Results: Mean LINC00342 levels in HNSCC tissues and TCGA database were higher than that in normal control tissues, but with no significantly statistical difference (P=0.522). LINC00342 expression levels were positively correlated with cervical lymph node metastasis and pathological grade in patients with HNSCC, with higher expression in male patients than in female patients (P<0.05). Transcriptome sequencing analysis showed that mean expression level of LINC00342 in LSCC tissues of 27 patients was significantly higher than that in the paired adjacent normal mucosa tissues (t=1.56, P=0.036). LINC00342 expression was significantly upregulated in HNSCC cell lines FD-LSC-1, CAL-27 and Detroit562 (t-values of -12.17, -23.26 and -388.57, respectively; all P<0.001). Knockdown of LINC00342 by transfecting si-LINC00342-1 and si-LINC00342-2 inhibited HNSCC cell proliferation (t-values of 8.95 and 4.84, 2.70 and 5.55, 2.02 and 3.70, respectively), colony formation (t-values of 6.66 and 6.17, 7.38 and 11.65, 4.90 and 5.79, respectively), migration (t-values of 8.21 and 7.19, 5.76 and 6.46, 6.28 and 9.92, respectively) and invasion abilities (t-values of 9.29 and 10.25, 11.30 and 11.36, 8.02 and 8.66, respectively), but promoting apoptosis in cell lines FD-LSC-1 and CAL-27 (t-values of -2.21 and -5.83, -3.05 and -5.25 respectively) (all P-values<0.05). The LINC00342-centered ceRNA network consists of 10 downregulated microRNA and 647 upregulated mRNA nodes. GO analysis results indicated that LINC00342-regulated mRNAs were enriched in 22 biological processes, 32 molecular functions, and 12 cellular components. Conclusion: High level of LINC00342 is associated with the malignant progression of HNSCC. LINC00342 promotes the proliferation, migration, invasion, and antagonizes apoptosis of HNSCC cells, which serves as a potential molecular marker in HNSCC.

Clinical comparison of superior thyroid artery perforator flap and sternocleidomastoid myocutaneous flap for intraoral reconstruction

The aim was to evaluate the techniques and outcomes of superior thyroid artery perforator flaps (STAPF) for intraoral reconstruction and to compare them with those of the sternocleidomastoid myocutaneous flap (SCMMF). The cases of 43 patients who underwent reconstruction with either a SCMMF or STAPF for the repair of a medium-sized intraoral defect, between January 2013 and December 2020, were reviewed retrospectively. Although both flaps are based on the superior thyroid artery, their specific harvesting techniques largely differ. All SCMMF (n = 23) were superiorly-based rotational flaps with myocutaneous designs. The STAPF cases (n = 20) included 18 septocutaneous flaps and two chimeric flaps. The flap size was larger in the STAPF group (P = 0.008), while incomplete level IIB dissection (oncological safety) was more frequent in the SCMMF group (P = 0.002). The flap necrosis rate was lower in the STAPF group (STAPF 15% vs SCMMF 34.8%, though this was not statistically significant). Cox multivariate analysis showed that the postoperative flap outcome (total flap necrosis vs flap survival; hazard ratio 27, 95% confidence interval 2.149-336.05; P = 0.001) and complications (excluding fistula) (hazard ratio 14, 95% confidence interval 1.314-142.767; P = 0.029) were associated with overall patient survival. Both speech (P < 0.001) and neck mobility (P < 0.001) functions were superior with STAPF reconstruction. Compared with the traditional SCMMF, the STAPF was found to have a lower necrosis rate with uncompromised oncological safety during harvesting. The STAPF is a good alternative for the repair of medium-sized head and neck defects.

General Anesthesia Versus Regional Anesthesia in the Elderly Patients Undergoing Hip Fracture Surgeries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials

BACKGROUND

Surgery is the preferred treatment option for the elderly patients with hip fractures. However, the choice of general anesthesia (GA) or regional anesthesia (RA) remains controversial. The quality of evidence has further improved with the advent of several high-quality randomized clinical trials (RCTs) in the last two years. The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes of two anesthetic techniques in elderly patients undergoing hip fracture surgeries.

METHODS

Eligible studies were identified from PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, EMBASE and reference lists from January 2000 to June 2022 in this current systematic review and meta-analysis. The outcomes included the surgery-related outcomes (duration of surgery, duration of anesthesia, intraoperative blood loss and number of transfusions) and postoperative outcomes (30-day mortality, postoperative delirium,cardiovascular events and other complications).

RESULTS

A total of 10 RCTs were included, and a total of 3594 patients were analyzed. RA was associated with shorter duration of surgery, shorter length of hospital stays and less intraoperative blood loss compared to GA. There were no significant differences between the two groups in the number of blood transfusions, duration of anesthesia, 30-day mortality or postoperative delirium.

CONCLUSIONS

Our pooled analysis identified no significant differences in terms of the safety between RA and GA, while RA reduces intraoperative blood loss, length of hospital stays and duration of surgery. These results suggest that RA appears to be preferable for the elderly patients with hip fractures.

A USV-UAV Cooperative Trajectory Planning Algorithm with Hull Dynamic Constraints

Efficient trajectory generation in complex dynamic environments remains an open problem in the operation of an unmanned surface vehicle (USV). The perception of a USV is usually interfered by the swing of the hull and the ambient weather, making it challenging to plan optimal USV trajectories. In this paper, a cooperative trajectory planning algorithm for a coupled USV-UAV system is proposed to ensure that a USV can execute a safe and smooth path as it autonomously advances through multi-obstacle maps. Specifically, the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) plays the role of a flight sensor, providing real-time global map and obstacle information with a lightweight semantic segmentation network and 3D projection transformation. An initial obstacle avoidance trajectory is generated by a graph-based search method. Concerning the unique under-actuated kinematic characteristics of the USV, a numerical optimization method based on hull dynamic constraints is introduced to make the trajectory easier to be tracked for motion control. Finally, a motion control method based on NMPC with the lowest energy consumption constraint during execution is proposed. Experimental results verify the effectiveness of the whole system, and the generated trajectory is locally optimal for USV with considerable tracking accuracy.

OL-SLAM: A Robust and Versatile System of Object Localization and SLAM

This paper proposes a real-time, versatile Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) and object localization system, which fuses measurements from LiDAR, camera, Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), and Global Positioning System (GPS). Our system can locate itself in an unknown environment and build a scene map based on which we can also track and obtain the global location of objects of interest. Precisely, our SLAM subsystem consists of the following four parts: LiDAR-inertial odometry, Visual-inertial odometry, GPS-inertial odometry, and global pose graph optimization. The target-tracking and positioning subsystem is developed based on YOLOv4. Benefiting from the use of GPS sensor in the SLAM system, we can obtain the global positioning information of the target; therefore, it can be highly useful in military operations, rescue and disaster relief, and other scenarios.

Association between Frailty Assessed Using Two Electronic Medical Record-Based Frailty Assessment Tools and Long-Term Adverse Prognosis in Older Critically Ill Survivors

OBJECTIVES

Frailty has become an independent risk factor for adverse outcomes in critically ill patients. This study aimed to explore the predictive ability of two electronic medical record-based frailty assessment tools, the Hospital Frailty Risk Score (HFRS) and Frailty Index based on physiological and laboratory tests (FI-lab), for long-term adverse prognosis in older critically ill survivors.

DESIGN

Retrospective observational study.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

9,082 critically ill survivors aged ≥ 65 years.

MEASUREMENTS

The HFRS and the 33-item FI-lab were constructed based on the published literature. Cox and logistic regression models assessed the association between frailty and 1-year mortality and post-discharge care needs.

RESULTS

2,586 patients died within 1 year of follow-up. In fully adjusted models, frailty assessed using both the HFRS (per point, hazard ratio [HR] 1.06, 95% confidential interval [CI] 1.05-1.06; intermediate frailty risk, HR 2.00, 95% CI 1.78-2.25; high frailty risk, HR 3.06, 95% CI 2.68-3.50) and FI-lab (per 0.01 points, HR 1.03, 95% CI 1.03-1.03; intermediate frailty risk, HR 1.59, 95% CI 1.44-1.76; high frailty risk, HR 2.30, 95% CI 2.06-2.57) was associated with mortality. Addition of frailty indicators improved the predictive validity of the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score for mortality (HFRS alone ∆ C-index 0.034; FI-lab alone ∆ C-index 0.016; HFRS and FI-lab combined ∆ C-index 0.042). The HFRS but not the FI-lab was associated with higher probability of post-discharge care needs.

CONCLUSION

Both the HFRS and FI-lab could independently predict 1-year mortality in older critically ill survivors. Adding the HFRS to the SOFA score model improved it more than adding the FI-lab. The greatest improvement was achieved when both frailty indicators were used together. These findings suggest that electronic medical record-based frailty assessment methods can be useful tools for predicting long-term outcomes in older critically ill patients.

Constraints on Heavy Decaying Dark Matter from 570 Days of LHAASO Observations

The kilometer square array (KM2A) of the large high altitude air shower observatory (LHAASO) aims at surveying the northern γ-ray sky at energies above 10 TeV with unprecedented sensitivity. γ-ray observations have long been one of the most powerful tools for dark matter searches, as, e.g., high-energy γ rays could be produced by the decays of heavy dark matter particles. In this Letter, we present the first dark matter analysis with LHAASO-KM2A, using the first 340 days of data from 1/2-KM2A and 230 days of data from 3/4-KM2A. Several regions of interest are used to search for a signal and account for the residual cosmic-ray background after γ/hadron separation. We find no excess of dark matter signals, and thus place some of the strongest γ-ray constraints on the lifetime of heavy dark matter particles with mass between 10^{5} and 10^{9}  GeV. Our results with LHAASO are robust, and have important implications for dark matter interpretations of the diffuse astrophysical high-energy neutrino emission.

What are Risk Factors of Postoperative Pneumonia in Geriatric Individuals after Hip Fracture Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Postoperative pneumonia (POP) is a common postoperative complication. Negative consequences associated with POP included prolonged hospital length of stay, more frequent intensive care unit (ICU) stays, and a higher rate of sepsis, readmission, and mortality. This meta-analysis aimed to assess the incidence and risk factors associated with POP after hip fracture surgery in elderly patients. PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were searched (up to March 31, 2022). All studies on the risk factors for POP after hip fracture surgery in elderly patients, published in English, were reviewed. The qualities of the included studies were assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Data were pooled, and a meta-analysis was performed. Ten studies, including 12,084 geriatric patients undergoing hip fracture surgery, were included. Of these 12,084 patients, POP occurred in 809 patients. The results indicated that age (mean difference [MD] = 4.95, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.22-6.69), male (odds ratio [OR] = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.02-1.93), the American Society of Anaesthesiologists classification ≥3 (OR = 3.48, 95% CI: 1.87-6.47), dependent functional status (OR = 5.23, 95% CI: 2.18-12.54, P = 0.0002), smoking (OR = 1.33, 95% CI: 1.07-1.65), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OR = 3.76, 95% CI: 2.07-6.81), diabetes mellitus (OR = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.01-1.40), coronary heart disease (OR = 1.74, 95% CI: 1.23-2.46), arrhythmia (OR = 1.47, 95% CI: 1.01-2.14), cerebrovascular disease (OR = 1.88, 95% CI: 1.56-2.27), dementia (OR = 2.36, 95% CI: 1.04-5.36), chronic renal failure (OR = 1.85, 95% CI: 1.29-2.67), hip arthroplasty (OR = 1.30, 95% CI: 1.08-1.56), delayed surgery (OR = 6.40, 95% CI: 3.00-13.68), preoperative creatinine (MD = 5.32, 95% CI: 0.55-10.08), and preoperative serum albumin (MD = -3.01, 95% CI: -4.21 - -1.80) were risk factors for POP. Related prophylactic measures should be provided in geriatric patients with the above-mentioned risk factors to prevent POP after hip fracture surgery.

Short- and Long-Term Effects of Different Antibiotics on the Gut Microbiota and Cytokines Level in Mice

BACKGROUND

Antibiotics are the first line of treatment for infectious diseases. However, their overuse can increase the spread of drug-resistant bacteria. The present study analyzed the impact of different types of antibiotics on the gut microbiome and cytokines level of mice.

METHODS

A total of five groups of 8-week-old male BALB/c mice (n = 35) were treated with piperacillin-tazobactam (TZP), ceftriaxone (CRO), tigecycline (TGC), levofloxacin (LEV) or normal saline (Ctrl), respectively, for up to 4 weeks. Fecal samples were analyzed by bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequencing for bacterial identification. Blood samples were used for the determination of 23 serum cytokines using multiplex immunoassay.

RESULTS

Exposure to antibiotics was shown to affect the normal weight gain of mice. Significant changes in gut composition caused by TZP, CRO and TGC treatment included the decreased abundance of Bacteroidetes (p < 0.01), Muribaculaceae (p < 0.01) and Lachnospiraceae (p < 0.01), and the increased abundance of Proteobacteria (p < 0.05), Enterobacteriaceae (including Klebsiella and Enterobacter) (p < 0.01) and Enterococcaceae (including Enterococcus) (p < 0.01). After 4-week treatment, the TZP, CRO and LEV groups had significantly lower concentrations of several serum cytokines. Correlation analysis of the top 30 bacterial genera and cytokines showed that Enterococcus and Klebsiella were strongly positively correlated with tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukins (IL) IL-12p70 and IL-1β. Desulfovibrio, Candidatus Saccharimonas, norank_f__norank_o__Clostridia_UCG-014, Lactobacillus, and Roseburia were strongly negatively correlated with these cytokines.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates the effects of various antibiotics on the intestinal microflora and immune status of mice. Compared with TZP, CRO and TGC, LEV had minimal impact on the gut microbiota. In addition to TGC, long-term TZP, CRO and LEV intervention can lead to a decrease in serum cytokine levels, which may depend on the intestinal microflora, antibiotic used and the duration of treatment.

Deep Learning-Based Intelligent Forklift Cargo Accurate Transfer System

In this research, we present an intelligent forklift cargo precision transfer system to address the issue of poor pallet docking accuracy and low recognition rate when using current techniques. The technology is primarily used to automatically check if there is any pallet that need to be transported. The intelligent forklift is then sent to the area of the target pallet after being recognized. Images of the pallets are then collected using the forklift's camera, and a deep learning-based recognition algorithm is used to calculate the precise position of the pallets. Finally, the forklift is controlled by a high-precision control algorithm to insert the pallet in the exact location. This system creatively introduces the small target detection into the pallet target recognition system, which greatly improves the recognition rate of the system. The application of Yolov5 into the pallet positional calculation makes the coverage and recognition accuracy of the algorithm improved. In comparison with the prior approach, this system's identification rate and accuracy are substantially higher, and it requires fewer sensors and indications to help with deployment. We have collected a significant amount of real data in order to confirm the system's viability and stability. Among them, the accuracy of pallet docking is evaluated 1000 times, and the inaccuracy is kept to a maximum of 6 mm. The recognition rate of pallet recognition is above 99.5% in 7 days of continuous trials.

[The effect of steatotic donor livers on the prognosis of donors and recipients after pediatric living donor liver transplantation]

Objectives: To evaluate the effects of steatotic donor livers on the safety of donors and the prognosis of donors and recipients in pediatric living donor liver transplantation. Methods: A total of 814 pediatric living donor liver transplantations were performed between January 2013 and December 2020 at Department of Pediatric Organ Transplantation,Tianjin First Central Hospital.The clinical data were collected and a retrospective study was conducted.The recipients and the donors were divided into non-steatotic donor liver group(n=733) and steatotic donor liver group(n=81) according to whether the donor graft had steatosis. The recipients and the donors in the steatotic donor liver group were further divided into mild and moderate steatosis groups based on the degree of liver steatosis.Among the donors of non-steatosis donor group,there were 307 males and 426 females,with a median age of 30 years(range:18 to 57 years);the recipients included 351 males and 382 females,with a median age of 7 months(range:4 month to 14 years).Among the donors of steatosis donor group,there were 41 males and 40 females,with a median age of 31 years(range:22 to 51 years);the recipients included 34 males and 47 females,with a median age of 8 months(range:5 months to 11 years).The donors and the recipients were followed up regularly by means of outpatient reexamination and questionnaire survey after operation.Statistical analysis of data between groups was performed using t-test,Wilcoxon rank-sum test,repeated measures ANOVA,χ² test,or Fisher's exact test,respectively.The survival curves of recipients and grafts in different groups were created by Kaplan-Meier method,and the survival rates of the steatotic donor liver group and the non-steatotic donor liver group were compared by Log-rank method. Results: There was no significant difference in the gender of donors in both groups (P=0.132).There were significant differences in the age and blood type distribution as well as body weight and body mass index(all P<0.05) between the two groups.No significant difference was seen in the recovery of liver function markers ALT and AST at 1,2,5 days and 1 month after operation (all P>0.05) between the two groups.The steatotic donor liver group showed longer operation time ((294±75) minutes vs. (264±81) minutes; t=3.149,P=0.002),increased incidence of postoperative biliary leakage (3.7%(3/81) vs. 0.5% (4/733); P=0.025) and delayed incision healing (7.4%(6/81) vs. 2.0%(15/733); P=0.013).There were no significant differences in gender,age,blood type distribution,height,weight and pediatric end-stage liver disease score of recipients between the two groups (all P>0.05).As compared to the non-steatotic donor liver group,the steatotic donor liver group showed similar levels of ALT, AST and total bilirubin within 2 weeks after operation(all P>0.05). The cumulative recipient survival rates in both groups were both 96.3%,the cumulative graft survival rates were 96.3% and 95.5%,respectively,without significant difference(both P>0.05). No statistical difference was observed in the incidence of major complications between the two groups (all P>0.05). There was no significant difference in the recovery of liver function markers of donors and recipients between mild and moderate steatosis groups(all P>0.05).The cumulative recipient survival rates were both 95.9% and the cumulative graft survival rates were both 100% in mild and moderate steatosis groups,without significant difference(P=0.592). Conclusions: The application of mild to moderate steatotic donor livers in pediatric living donor liver transplantation may prolong the operation time of donors,increase the incidence of complications such as biliary leakage and delayed incision healing. But there is no significant impact of mild to moderate steatotic donor livers on the overall postoperative recovery of donors and recipients,and the prognosis is ideal.

[microRNA let-7g-3p regulates proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis of bladder cancer cells by targeting HMGB2]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the molecular mechanism by which microRNA let-7g-3p regulates biological behaviors of bladder cancer cells.

METHODS

The expression levels of let-7g-3p in bladder cancer and adjacent tissues, normal bladder epithelial cells (HUC cells) and bladder cancer cells (T24, 5637 and EJ cells) were detected using qRT- PCR. T24 cells were transfected with let-7g-3p mimic or inhibitor, and the changes in cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis were examined. Transcriptome sequencing was carried out in cells overexpressing let-7g-3p, and the results of bioinformatics analysis, double luciferase reporter gene assay, qRT-PCR and Western blotting confirmed that HMGB2 gene was the target gene of let-7g-3p. The expression of HMGB2 was examined in HUC, T24, 5637 and EJ cells, and in cells with HMGB2 knockdown, the effect of let-7g-3p knockdown on the biological behaviors were observed.

RESULTS

qRT-qPCR confirmed that let-7g-3p expression was significantly lower in bladder cancer tissues and cells (P < 0.01). Overexpression of let-7g-3p inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and promoted cell apoptosis, while let-7g-3p knock-down produced the opposite effects. Bioinformatics and transcriptome sequencing results showed that HMGB2 was the key molecule that mediate the effect of let-7g-3p on bladder cancer cells. Luciferase reporter gene assay, qRT-PCR and Western blotting all confirmed that HMGB2 was negatively regulated by let-7g-3p (P < 0.01). Knocking down HMGB2 could partially reverse the effect of let-7g-3p knockdown on the biological behaviors of the bladder cancer cells.

CONCLUSION

The microRNA let-7g-3p can inhibit the biological behavior of bladder cancer cells by negatively regulating HMGB2 gene.

[FUT8 modulates galectin-3 expression to regulate TGF-β1-mediated fibrosis of lung fibroblasts]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the regulatory role of α-1, 6-fucosyltransferase (FUT8) in TGF-β1-induced proliferation, migration and fibrosis of human embryonic lung fibroblasts (MRC-5 cells) and explore the underlying molecular mechanism.

METHODS

C57/BL6 mice were randomized into 4 groups for treatment with saline (control group), bleomycin, bleomycin+sh-NC or bleomycin+sh-FUT8, and pulmonary fibrosis was observed using Masson staining.MRC-5 cells were transfected with si-NC, FUT8 siRNA (si-FUT8), or both si-FUT8 and a galectin-3(Gal-3) overexpression plasmid (pcDNA3.1-Gal) prior to TGF-β1 treatment, and the changes in cell proliferation and migration were assessed using CCK-8 assay, BrdU assay, and wound healing assay; the changes in the expression levels of α-SMA, collagen I (COLIA1) and extracellular matrix fibronectin (FN) were detected with real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and Western blotting.The interaction of FUT8 and Gal-3 was tested using coimmunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assay, and the effect of FUT8 silencing on Gal-3 and FAK/Akt signaling pathways was analyzed.

RESULTS

FUT8 knockdown significantly reduced bleomycin-induced extracellular collagen deposition in the lung tissues of the mice.Silencing FUT8 obviously inhibited cell proliferation (P < 0.05) and migration mediated by TGF-β1.FUT8 knockdown down-regulated the mRNA and protein levels of α-SMA, COLIA1 and FN (P < 0.05) in the cells.Coimmunoprecipitation analysis showed that FUT8 interacted with Gal-3.Silencing FUT8 significantly down-regulated Gal-3 expression and inhibited the activation of the FAK/Akt signaling pathway (P < 0.05).Overexpression of Gal-3 obviously reversed the effects of FUT8 silencing on cell proliferation, migration and fibrosis (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

FUT8 regulates TGF-β1-induced proliferation, migration and fibrosis of MRC-5 cells by modulating Gal-3 expression, in which the FAK/Akt pathway may play a role.

[The prognostic value of dynamic minimal residual disease after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients with multiple myeloma in novel-agent era]

Objective: To investigate the clinical prognostic value of dynamic minimal residual disease (MRD) after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). Methods: Patients with MM who underwent AHSCT in Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital from February 2016 to December 2019 were enrolled in this study. All the patients in the study had complete baseline data at the diagnosis. AHSCT was performed after induction chemotherapy. Response evaluation was performed after induction therapy. All the patients were assessed at approximately 100 days after AHSCT. Bone marrow MRD by NGF was performed every three months and dynamically monitored for at least 12 months. All the patients were divided into different groups according to cytogenetics and MRD status. Survivals in different groups were analyzed by IBM SPSS 22.0 statistical software. Results: A total of 150 patients with MM were enrolled in this study at last, including 66 patients in the cytogenetic standard risk group and 84 patients in the cytogenetic high-risk group. The median age was 54 years (range 30-68 years) and 87 male patients (58.0%) was in the study. The median follow-up was 36 months (range 16-72 months). Patients in the standard-risk group had better clinical prognosis than those in the high-risk group [median PFS in the standard-risk group was not achieved, and median PFS in the high-risk group was 45 months (P<0.001); median OS of both groups was not reached, and the estimated 3-year OS rate of the standard-risk group and the high-risk group was 95.2% and 78.9%, respectively (P=0.001)]. According to MRD status of patients, patients in each group were divided into three subgroups: persistent positive (Ppos), transient negative (Tneg) and persistent negative (Pneg). The median OS and median PFS of all subgroups in the standard-risk group was not reached (P=0.324 and P=0.086). In high-risk group, the median OS of MRD Pneg subgroup was not reached, and the estimated 3-year OS rate was 100%; The median OS of MRD Ppos subgroup was 52 months, and MRD Tneg subgroup only 31 months (P=0.002); the median PFS of MRD Pneg group was not reached, and the estimated 3-year PFS rate was 85.4%; median PFS of MRD Ppos subgroup was 40 months, and MRD Tneg subgroup only 17 months (P=0.001). Conclusions: MRD Pneg might overcome the adverse prognosis of MM patients with high-risk cytogenetics. However, MRD Tneg might be a poor prognostic factor for the patients with cytogenetic high-risk MM.

[Analysis of clinical features and surgical outcomes of petrous bone cholesteatomas]

Objective: To analyze the clinical features and surgical outcomes of petrous bone cholesteatomas (PBCs). Methods: Data from 39 PBCs patients treated in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Xijing Hospital from September 2011 to December 2017 were reviewed retrospectively, including 23 males, 16 femals, aged 12-71 years old, with the median age of 37. Clinical classifications, surgical methods, facial and hearing function, and intraoperative and postoperative complications were made summary analysis. Results: In this study, five patients were congenital PBCs and 34 patients were acquired PBCs. The common clinical symptoms were hearing loss (100%, 39/39), ear discharge/pus (89.7%, 35/39) and facial paralysis (46.2%, 18/39). According to Sanna's classification, 14 cases were supralabyrinthine, including three cases underwent transcochlear (TC) approach, six cases underwent transotic (TO) approach and five underwent translabyrinthine (TL) approach. 10 cases were infralabyrinthine, including eight cases underwent subtotal petrosectomy, one case underwent TO approach and one underwent TL approach.10 cases were massive, including seven cases underwent TC approach, three cases underwent TO approach. Five cases were infralabyrinthine-apical, including two cases underwent TC approach, two cases underwent TO approach, and one case underwent endoscope assisted infratemporal fossa type B. The degree of facial nerve (FN) dysfunction from high to low was massive (6/10), supralabyrinthine (8/14), infralabyrinthine-apical (2/5) and infralabyrinthine (2/10). 19 cases involved in facial nerve operation, three cases underwent FN decompression, four cases underwent FN rerouting, four cases underwent nerve grafting, and one case underwent facial-hypoglossal anastomosis. Preoperative FN involvement in 18 cases, and the FN function was improved in 14 cases after surgery. The improved rate of postoperative FN function was 77.8%. The bone conducted hearing retained 50.0% (14/28) postoperatively. Five cases with cerebrospinal fluid leak were managed by inserting free muscle plugs and cavity obliteration. Two cases with the cholesteatomas matrix involved the sigmoid sinus and the jugular bulb, and occlusion of the sigmoid sinus was performed. Postoperatively, two patients presented with synkinesis. The patients were followed up for 40 to 115 months, and there was no recurrence. Conclusions: There are no specific clinical manifestations for PBCs, thus, it is difficult in early diagnosis and treatment. According to Sanna's classification, preoperative FN and hearing function, the best surgical approach should be selected with minimal recurrences and perioperative morbidity.

Applications of Machine Learning in Alloy Catalysts: Rational Selection and Future Development of Descriptors

At present, alloys have broad application prospects in heterogeneous catalysis, due to their various catalytic active sites produced by their vast element combinations and complex geometric structures. However, it is the diverse variables of alloys that lead to the difficulty in understanding the structure-property relationship for conventional experimental and theoretical methods. Fortunately, machine learning methods are helpful to address the issue. Machine learning can not only deal with a large number of data rapidly, but also help establish the physical picture of reactions in multidimensional heterogeneous catalysis. The key challenge in machine learning is the exploration of suitable general descriptors to accurately describe various types of alloy catalysts, which help reasonably design catalysts and efficiently screen candidates. In this review, several kinds of machine learning methods commonly used in the design of alloy catalysts is introduced, and the applications of various reactivity descriptors corresponding to different alloy systems is summarized. Importantly, this work clarifies the existing understanding of physical picture of heterogeneous catalysis, and emphasize the significance of rational selection of universal descriptors. Finally, the development of heterogeneous catalytic descriptors for machine learning are presented.

Identifying informative tweets during a pandemic via a topic-aware neural language model

Every epidemic affects the real lives of many people around the world and leads to terrible consequences. Recently, many tweets about the COVID-19 pandemic have been shared publicly on social media platforms. The analysis of these tweets is helpful for emergency response organizations to prioritize their tasks and make better decisions. However, most of these tweets are non-informative, which is a challenge for establishing an automated system to detect useful information in social media. Furthermore, existing methods ignore unlabeled data and topic background knowledge, which can provide additional semantic information. In this paper, we propose a novel Topic-Aware BERT (TABERT) model to solve the above challenges. TABERT first leverages a topic model to extract the latent topics of tweets. Secondly, a flexible framework is used to combine topic information with the output of BERT. Finally, we adopt adversarial training to achieve semi-supervised learning, and a large amount of unlabeled data can be used to improve inner representations of the model. Experimental results on the dataset of COVID-19 English tweets show that our model outperforms classic and state-of-the-art baselines.

A quantitative AOP of mitochondrial toxicity based on data from three cell lines

Adverse Outcome Pathways (AOPs) are increasingly used to support the integration of in vitro data in hazard assessment for chemicals. Quantitative AOPs (qAOPs) use mathematical models to describe the relationship between key events (KEs). In this paper, data obtained in three cell lines, LHUMES, HepG2 and RPTEC/TERT1, using similar experimental protocols, was used to calibrate a qAOP of mitochondrial toxicity for two chemicals, rotenone and deguelin. The objectives were to determine whether the same qAOP could be used for the three cell types, and to test chemical-independence by cross-validation with a dataset obtained on eight other chemicals in LHUMES cells. Repeating the calibration approach for both chemicals in three cell lines highlighted various practical difficulties. Even when the same readouts of KEs are measured, the mathematical functions used to describe the key event relationships may not be the same. Cross-validation in LHUMES cells was attempted by estimating chemical-specific potency at the molecular initiating events and using the rest of the calibrated qAOP to predict downstream KEs: toxicity of azoxystrobin, carboxine, mepronil and thifluzamide was underestimated. Selection of most relevant readouts and accurate characterization of the molecular initiating event for cross-validation are critical when designing in vitro experiments targeted at calibrating qAOPs.

Role of van der Waals forces in the metal-insulator transition of transition metal oxides

Transition metal oxides (TMOs) exhibit great potential in technological applications due to their ability to undergo a rapid metal-insulator transition (MIT). However, the phase stability of TMOs, which models the on/off voltages of electronic devices, remains controversial due to the incomplete knowledge of the determinants of its stability. Herein, we study the effect of van der Waals (vdW) interactions on the phase stability of TMOs by employing the pairwise and screened vdW methods. Our calculations manifest that the vdW interactions are crucial to the TMOs' phase stability and tend to stabilize the insulating phase. Furthermore, the long-range electrodynamic screening interactions correct the TMOs' phase stability by revising the vdW term.

Towards a qAOP framework for predictive toxicology - Linking data to decisions

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Chemical toxicity assessment depends on the quantification of kinetics and dynamics.

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Quantitative AOPs (qAOPs) are toxicodynamic models based on Adverse Outcome Pathways.

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Existing e-resources could form the basis of an e-infrastructure for qAOP modelling.

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Best practices for qAOP development, assessment and application are needed.

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Three qAOP case studies are presented to illustrate a modelling workflow.

The adverse outcome pathway (AOP) is a conceptual construct that facilitates organisation and interpretation of mechanistic data representing multiple biological levels and deriving from a range of methodological approaches including in silico, in vitro and in vivo assays. AOPs are playing an increasingly important role in the chemical safety assessment paradigm and quantification of AOPs is an important step towards a more reliable prediction of chemically induced adverse effects. Modelling methodologies require the identification, extraction and use of reliable data and information to support the inclusion of quantitative considerations in AOP development. An extensive and growing range of digital resources are available to support the modelling of quantitative AOPs, providing a wide range of information, but also requiring guidance for their practical application. A framework for qAOP development is proposed based on feedback from a group of experts and three qAOP case studies. The proposed framework provides a harmonised approach for both regulators and scientists working in this area.

[Association of thrombocytopenia with mortality after surgery in patients with Standford type A aortic dissection]

Objective: To evaluate the association of thromboytopenia with mortality of Standford type A aortic dissection after cardiopulmonary bypass surgery. Methods: Total of 498 patients with Standford type A aortic dissection after surgery in Fuwai Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from May 2017 to December 2018 were collected retrospectively. There were 350 males and 148 females, with a mean age of (51.7±12.0) years. The patients were divided into thrombocytopenia group (platelet count<75×10¹⁵/L, n=178) and normal platelet group (platelet count≥75×10¹⁵/L, n=320) according to the lowest platelet count within 72 hours after surgery. The perioperative in-hospital mortality and related complications were calculated by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. The primary endpoint was in-hospital mortality, and the secondary endpoints included secondary thoracotomy, pneumonia, postoperative continuous renal replacement therapy, paraplegia, heart failure, length of hospital stay and intensive care unit (ICU) stay time. Results: The morbidity of thrombocytopenia after Standford type A aortic dissection surgery was 35.7% (178/498). Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that postoperative thrombocytopenia was significantly associated with in-hospital mortality and 7 secondary endpoints (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed thrombocytopenia after aortic dissection surgery was significantly associated with increased postoperative mortality (OR=12.57, 95%CI: 2.26-69.93, P=0.004), secondary thoracotomy (OR=6.21, 95%CI: 1.31-29.46, P=0.022), continuous renal replacement therapy (OR=7.51, 95%CI: 2.53-22.34, P<0.001), paraplegia (OR=23.99, 95%CI: 1.47-392.21, P=0.026), heart failure (OR=4.71, 95%CI: 1.19-18.62, P=0.027) and longer ICU stay time (OR=1.86, 95%CI: 1.11-3.12, P=0.019). Conclusions: Thrombocytopenia after Standford type A aortic dissection after cardiopulmonary bypass surgery (the lowest platelet count within 72 hours) is strongly associated with postoperative in-hospital mortality. Trying to avoid the factors related to thrombocytopenia can prevent more complications at the same time.

[Effects of mesenchymal stem cells on primary culture and secretion function of parathyroid cells in vitro]

Objective: To investigate the effects of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) on proliferation and hormone secretion of parathyroid cells in votro. Methods: The parathyroid cells and ADMSCs were obtained from 10 SD rats by cell separation and culture. The phenotype of P3 generation for ADMSCs was detected by flow cytometry. The co-culture of parathyroid cells and ADMSCs was conducted in the ratios of 2∶1, 1∶1, 1∶2 and 1∶5, respectively. The level of parathyroid hormone in cell supernatant was determined. The results were compared with the parathyroid hormone in the supernatant of parathyroid cells cultured separately in the corresponding number. The effects of ADMSCs on the hormone secretion of parathyroid cells were evaluated. SPSS 11.0 software was used for statistical analysis. Results: The primary culture of either parathyroid cells or ADMSCs and the co-culture of these cells in vitro were performed successfully, and the in vitro culture of different proportions of the two cells showed different effects on parathyroid hormone secretion. The co-culture of parathyroid cells and ADMSCs, especially in the ratio of 1∶5, facilitated the secretion of parathyroid hormone ((1.3±0.0) vs. (0.8±0.1), (1.3±0.0) vs. (0.9±0.0), (1.7±0.5) vs. (0.9±0.0), (1.7±0.0) vs. (1.2±0.2))ng/L with t value of 25.46, 64.30, 3.32, 7.16, P<0.05 on the 2nd, 4th, 6th and 8th days respectively. Secondly, when the ratio was 1∶2, the PTH level showed an upward trend. Conclusion: Parathyroid cells and ADMSCs can be co-cultured in vitro, facilitating the secretion of parathyroid hormone under the appropriate cell proportion such as the ratio of by parathyroid cells to ADMSCs at 1∶5.